Wire stretcher and fastener.



PATENTED MAR. 7, 1905.

F. VERHOEVEN.

WIRE STRBTGHER AND FASTENER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.1, 1904.

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mozz- UNITED STATES Patented March 7, 1 905.

PATENT OFFICE.

WIRE STRETCHER AND FASTENER- SPECIFICATION forming part of LettersPatent No. 784,452, dated March 7, 1905.

Application filed September 1, 1904. Serial No. 223,053.

To MZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1. FELIX VERnoEvnN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Forestgrovc, in the county of \Vashington and State ofOregon, have invented a new and useful lVire Stretcher and Fastener, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had to thedrawings which form a'part thereof.

h'ly invention relates to improvements in wire stretchers and fastenersin which the wire is stretched or drawn taut and then fastened.

The objects of my invention and improve ments are, first, to provide asimple, inexpensive, and strong device by which a wire of any reasonablelength and dimension or tensile strength may be easily, economically,and speedily stretched or drawn taut; second, to securely and quicklyfasten such a wire after it is so stretched or drawn taut and to preventit from slacking. These objects. as will hereinafter be seen, areaccomplished by the device I have discovered, which is novel and useful,and its easy adjustment to position, its simple construction andefl'ective, speedy, and convenient operation distinguish my devicepractically from all others known to me, and it overcomes the objectionsincident to many similar devices heretofore designed for the samegeneral purpose. I attain these objects and other advantages by themechanism, construction, combination, and arrangement of partsillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a frontelevation. Fig. 2 is a side elevation on the side where the crankhandleis placed. Fig. 3 isa perspective view of my device upon a fence-post.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the drawings andseveral views.

The device shown is adapted to be secured to a pole, post, or otherobject where wire is strung, as for fences or in hop-yards, &c., bylirst securing the bearings A A to the post B or to a cross-piecethereon by means of screws or nails driven in at the openings (1 (1' aa. The reel O is shown in all figures as adapted to lit into the saidpost-bearings at each shaft end thereof. In the center of the reel-shaftis an opening 7), passing through it, for the reception of the end ofthe wire to be operated upon. At each end of the reel-shaft are theopeningscc, adapted to receive and permit the free vertical movement ineach of the locking-pins D1,), respectively, both of which are formedwith round heads 9 g 5 g at each end to prevent them from beingwithdrawn or falling out of said openings. The openings 0 0 may alsobeat right angles to each other, and thus permit a following movement ofthe locking-pins. Upon the reel U at the sides of the openings 0 c arethe rims (a a of a size adapted to prevent the wire from coming intocontact with the locking-pins D 1). Upon the reel at the opposite sidesof the locking-pins l) D are two other rims f f, of a size adapted tobear against the post-bearings. to prevent the reel from moving to leftor right. One end E of the reel-shaft is square and adapted to receivethe removable crank-handle F. The wire /t is shown passing through anopening bored through the post B opposite the opening 7) in center ofreel-shaft or which opening may be at one side of the shaft.

The post-hearings A A having been secured to the well-braced post B uponits side, it will be seen that in stretching or tightening a fence orhop-yard wire that the wire is passed through the post by an opening ata place opposite the reel-shaft. The end of the wire is then secured inthe end of the opening for the purpose of winding the wire A. it willthus be seen that the draft of the wire will then retain the reellll'l11l VUl.)()l]ltS post-bearings. The crank-handle being carriedalong by a man is placed upon the square shaft end 1*) of the reel, andby turning, as desired, the wire is drawn first to'the under side of thereel, whereupon the locking-pins l) l) are turned so they again reach avertical position and maybe permitted to drop by gravity through theopenings 0 c. if the lockingpins are set at right angles, they will eachperform the same function, locking the reel in turn. By thus revolvingthe reel until the wire is drawn as tightly as desired it will be seenthat the locking-pins l) I) after drop-- ping through the openings 0 0come in contact at their lower ends with the post B, and

thus fasten the reel, preventing it from revolving and preventing theWire from unwinding or slacking. The crank-handle is then removed foruse upon thenext reel. It Will also be seen that the Wire Will not runover or upon the pins, as it is prevented from so doing by the rims e 6,nor will the reel slip or slide sidewise, because of the rims ff incontact With the post-bearings A A.

I prefer to make my Wire stretcher and fastener as described in Figs. 1,2, and 3; but it may be made with or Without one or more of the rims,with or Without the fastener-opening 6 or a hook or other catchsubstituted therefor, or different post-bearings maybe substituted, andother modifications in form, construction, and arrangement thereof maybe made by the skilled mechanic Without variance from my invention.

I claim- In a Wire-stretcher, the reel 0 having the rims e and ff, thesquare shaft end E and the openings Z1 and 0 c.

F; VERHOEVEN.

itnesses:

J. N. HOFFMAN, BENJ. P. WELoH.

